Samsung ships first HSDPA phone you can buy

Only in Korea, for now

Samsung has claimed to have shipped the world's first handset to support the HSDPA 'Super 3G' speed-boost technology, though for now the phone's only available in South Korea, where SK Telecom has just upgraded its CMDA2000 3G network to the new spec.

In addition to allowing data to be downloaded at up to 1.8Mbps, the SCH-W200 slider phone can also pick up satellite-transmitted Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) TV programmes, displayed on its 2.12in, 240 x 320, 262,144-colour display. The handset has stereo speakers fed by a digital power amplifier and even a TV output connector, Samsung said. There's a two-megapixel camera on board.

The unit weighs 115g and measures 9.9 x 4.8 x 2.3cm. Subscribers to Korea's second-largest carrier, KTF, will be able to get their hands on the handset in June.

HSDPA isn't expected over here until a month after that. Samsung didn't say whether it will offer the SCH-W200 in the UK. If it does, it will be up against the likes of BenQ Siemens' EF91 clamshell phone and HTC's 'Breeze' candybar. HTC is also planing to offer 'Muse', an HSPDA handset pitched at music fans. ®